“Superfog” conditions cause fatal car pileup on Louisiana highway

Low visibility contributed to a series of car crashes near New Orleans on Monday morning, killing at least seven people, according to the National Weather Service. Louisiana State Police said over 150 vehicles crashed along Interstate 55 in an accident that stretched about a mile. More than 25 people with injuries were taken to hospitals. A tanker truck carrying hazardous material also caught fire and had to be offloaded.

What caused the superfog? The National Weather Service’s office in New Orleans reported that a mix of smoke from nearby marsh fires and dense fog created the “superfog.” On Tuesday, the agency said that thick fog still exists in other parts of the state.

Dig deeper: Read Leah Savas’ report in Vitals on division at the Southern Baptist Convention’s meeting in New Orleans earlier this year.